Federal authorities investigating sexual violence complaints at several area colleges

Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

The U.S. Department of Education has opened a new investigation into sexual violence allegations at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., officials said Tuesday. Several Illinois colleges are also under investigation.

The U.S. Department of Education has opened a new investigation into sexual violence allegations at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., officials said Tuesday. Several Illinois colleges are also under investigation. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

The department began investigating two cases at the U. of C. on Feb. 3, according to a list released Tuesday by the agency's Office for Civil Rights. The Notre Dame investigation began Feb. 19.

Neither school would release details about the allegations against them.

U. of C. also continues to face an investigation launched in 2013.

As of last week, federal authorities were investigating 208 sexual violence cases at 167 colleges and universities under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits gender discrimination. They include reviews that began late last year at Columbia College Chicago, Monmouth College, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and Judson University in Elgin. Knox College in Galesburg has been under investigation in two cases since 2014.

The University of Notre Dame is among more than 165 colleges under federal investigation for possible Title IX violations related to sexual violence on campus.As of Feb. 24, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights was investigating 208 cases for issues of sexual violence at 167...

Investigations have increased in the past few years as the Obama administration launched a series of initiatives aimed at reducing sex crimes on U.S. campuses. Statistics suggest nearly 1 in 5 women will be a victim of an attempted or actual sexual assault during her college career.

The education department for the first time in 2014 released a list of schools under investigation for possible violations of federal law related to the handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints. The initial list included 55 schools, a number that has more than tripled.

The education department does not disclose specifics about the cases it is investigating. The reviews are prompted by either a formal complaint or a compliance review and can take years to complete. Universities lacking adequate sexual misconduct policies could lose federal funding.

In a statement, U. of C. spokesman Jeremy Manier said that the three ongoing federal reviews at the Hyde Park campus "are in response to complaints that predate the action the university has taken in the past year." Among recent events on campus, a professor quit his job as university officials were preparing to fire him for violating school policy regarding sexual misconduct, according to a previous statement from the U. of C.

"The University has taken numerous steps over the last year to enhance its compliance with Title IX and to prevent and address instances of sexual misconduct," according to a statement in response to the education department investigations. Those changes include providing sexual misconduct awareness and prevention training to more than 2,200 graduate students; launching a website that explains policies, resources and options; and releasing annual statistics related to sexual misconduct reports on campus.

U. of C. student Olivia Ortiz, whose complaint about the school's mishandling of her rape allegation is part of the 2013 investigation, praised the policy changes but said she doesn't believe the school has done enough. She said she has felt isolated after returning from a medical leave for post-traumatic stress, and largely navigated the academic, financial and administrative fallout from her leave alone — all while waiting for the federal government to finish its investigation.

"I feel as if I sacrificed my right to an education for very little result," said Ortiz, who said she expects to graduate this summer with a linguistics degree. "I feel like I'm still being abused by the system."

Meanwhile, the Notre Dame case marks the second time in five years that the university has been investigated under Title IX.

"The investigation Notre Dame first learned about last week resulted from a complaint relating to a student who was separated from the university nearly a year ago," Paul Browne, vice president for public affairs and communications, said in an emailed statement. The school was aware of the allegation at the time it took action against the accused student, Browne said.

In June 2011, the Catholic university agreed to make wide-ranging reforms to improve its response to sexual assault reports, including a 60-day deadline to wrap up administrative reviews. The changes came after the education department opened an investigation following a Tribune report that detailed the case of Elizabeth "Lizzy" Seeberg, a Northbrook teen who killed herself nine days after accusing a Notre Dame football player of sexual battery.

Seeberg's family had raised questions about the police department's perceived reluctance to gather evidence, the lack of transparency in the investigation and a 15-day delay in interviewing the player.

The investigation at Monmouth began Sept. 11 when a complaint was filed with the Office of Civil Rights, according to Trent Gilbert, the college's vice president for enrollment management and communications.

Gilbert wouldn't discuss the details, but said federal investigators were on campus Tuesday and expected to continue meeting Wednesday with students, including alleged sexual assault victims, and the school's Title IX coordinator. Gilbert also said the college already concluded its own investigation into the incident.

SIU spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith said the university is cooperating with the education department on the two cases launched in September and December. She declined to discuss specifics, citing legal and privacy concerns, but said internal investigations in both cases have concluded.

"Like campuses across the country, we are working very hard to fulfill our responsibilities to students through education, prompt response and thorough investigation," she said.

The Columbia College investigation was initiated Dec. 15. College spokesman Cara Birch said the school had previously investigated the complaint internally and found it "unsubstantiated even after an appeal." She said the college conducts Title IX training for all students, faculty and staff and hosts monthly sexual assault awareness events.

A version of this article appeared in print on March 02, 2016, in the News section of the Chicago Tribune with the headline "Campus sex violence investigated - Federal authorities looking into allegations at Notre Dame, U. of C." —
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